Iowa

Zachary Bowman - Cedar Falls, Iowa
2011Honorable Mention

Artist's StatementIowa is one of a series. Significant objects or ideas of a specific subject inspired the other sculptures from the series, i.e. the town of Coon Rapids, Iowa, and firefighters. I used the same inspiration to make Iowa.

The Iowa State Capitol building is the only five-domed capital building in the country. Iowa also ranks first of U.S. states in percentage of total power generated by wind and second in wind generating capacity behind Texas.

The goal was to make a sculpture that represents Iowa but not with corn, soybeans and livestock. With the information gathered, I took the dome shape, cut it in half, and fit them together so it would be visually interesting. I added long wings which represent the blades of a wind turbine. I chose to add cedar to the piece for a contrast in texture and color. It’s also a natural material so it gives the piece an earthier feel that is Iowa. Last, because manufacturing is the largest sector of Iowa’s economy, I mimicked shingling on the interior of the dome to represent not only an architectural element but to portray the assembling/construction of an object, much like manufacturing.

Artist's BioZachary George Bowman was born in 1988 in Carroll, Iowa. He received his BFA in Sculpture and a minor in Art History at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls Iowa in 2012. From 2010-2012, Zachary was a lab monitor and studied sculpture and ceramics at the UNI Ceramic Studio. In 2011, he was a metal fabricator for the Percent For Art Program at the University of Northern Iowa. Bowman was commissioned for outdoor sculptures in Coon Rapids, Iowa, in 2010 and 2011. His recent group exhibitions include the Annual Department of Art Juried Student Exibition and the No-one Knows Me Like Yunomi exhibit at UNI, and the Raccoon River Art Fair Juried Show in Coon Rapids.

Sales InformationThis piece is for sale and will be on display until June 2013.
Sales price - $5,000
16 gauge mild steel
4’x 6’x7’
175 lbs.

To purchase, contact the Arts and Cultural Affairs Coordinator by email or call 563-690-6064.